DEFINITION OF THE COURSE
To identify the role and responsibility of the podiatrist functioning within the hospital community requires a basic understanding of hospitals in general, their general functions and their organizational structure.. The first segment of the course will be devoted to defining these roles and identifying the relationship of podiatry to this area of activity.

The next segment of the course will be devoted to discussions relating to the problems of community health, comprehensive health care, and the podiatrist's responsibilities as a health professional in the community including a full description of the health organizational system as it is presented today.

An additional segment of the course will identify special elements to include biostatistics, epidemiology, health education, social welfare, mental retardation, and public health law.

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

• To identify the relationship of podiatrics to the modern hospital.
• To understand the organizational and operational structures of hospitals and related community facilities at a community function.
• To be familiar with the functions of the podiatrist in the hospital and understand the contributions of podiatry to the total health care programs.
• To understand the various accreditation and approval procedures in hospitals and related community and educational programs.
• To have complete understanding of the patients for whom the podiatrist will assume responsibility.
• To understand the role of the health professional in the community.
• To have an awareness of the basic principles of preventive medicine and podiatry.
• To have an understanding as to the relationship of the podiatry profession to the community.
• To understand and gain a knowledge of the working relationship of epidemiologic methods.
• To gain a knowledge of the field of biostatistics and its relationship to podiatric medicine and epidemiology.
• To gain a knowledge of health education and its relationship to prevention and patient care.
• To gain knowledge into the social welfare aspects of health care, the social aspects of disease, and the social needs of foot problems, in patients.
• To have a basic understanding of mental health and mental retardation, and its relation to podiatry.
• To have a basic understanding of public health law.

PURPOSE OF THE COURSE IN THE CURRICULUM

• To permit the podiatric student to identify his role and responsibility in the hospital organizational structure.
• To permit the podiatry student to understand the total concept of comprehensive patient management and to begin to think of himself or herself and his/her patients in relation to the community and the environment.
• To provide basic information for the student that will permit him or her to understand public health methods, understand research information, prepare and understand data, and understand the relationship of disease to well individuals.